'Oat Is The New Almond': The Coffee Trend Australia Can't Get Enough Of

Oat milk might just be the king of plant-based milk...

'Oat Is The New Almond': The Coffee Trend Australia Can't Get Enough Of

Image Credit: @bayleafcafe

Put that in your almond latte and sip it: Australian Barista Champion 2019 – Matthew Lewin – reckons Oat Milk is the superior swill of the plant pantheon.

Matthew recently wrote on Instagram:

“Oat is projected to be the no#1 plant milk for coffee. For a lot of good reasons [including] taste neutrality with no restrictions, [it] lets ALL coffee shine, [and it’s] amazing with everyday to experience based fruity milk coffees.”

“Oat is the goat.”

One Instagram commenter, @thelittlesocialcafe, chimed in beneath the post, writing “oat is totally the new almond.”

This bold claim is can be backed up by snippets from the article he wrote for Bean Scene Magazine.

In that article, Matthew explained that he reckons oat milk is becoming that dairy alternative of choice for many baristas because it goes perfectly with the burgeoning fruity coffee trends he sees sweeping Australia.

Though he is a brand ambassador for an Oat Milk brand, he still makes some good points (and, to be fair, the brand he works with also make almond and soy milk).

While he admits that almond milk really complements traditional, chocolatey coffees and “coffee adjacent” drinks like chai, he says that oat milk not only goes well with those guys too, but also really excels alongside the “fruitier blends and roasts that are becoming a staple for many cafés and roasters.”

“Like oat milk, these fruity coffee blends are quite a new addition in terms of milk-based coffee offerings but will likely remain in people’s coffee programs as consumers become more accustomed to these new, exciting and evolved fruity flavours in their coffee,” (Bean Scene Magazine).

“The slight sweetness and neutral taste of oat milk also works perfectly with other flavour-forward drinks you’d serve in a café, like the classic hot chocolate.”

He adds “oat milk [is] the easiest plant-based milk to pour and work with as well.” Despite the fact some baristas DMARGE have spoken with have said Oat Milk is one of the trickiest to get right, Matthew says it’s just a matter of knowing your stuff.

Matthew isn’t the only one to sing oat milk’s praises. Various TikTokers have been converted too, praising its environmental as well as taste benefits (as compared to say, almond or soy).

Why oat milk is a ‘god tier’ milk alternative, according to TikTok

“The fact is, all plant milks require a similar approach to use optimally and there are a few tricks that will help you get the best out of it,” Matthew wrote in Bean Scene Magazine.

“Give the carton a good shake each time you use it so the oat milk doesn’t stratify and stays consistent from pour to pour. Store it in the fridge and out of direct light so it stays fresh and textures better.”

Another pro tip is “the hotter you need to texture plant-based milk, the less air you should introduce at the beginning” and “higher temperature steam creates extra inertia foam at those hotter points of steaming – so you’re really stretching the band out as much as it can before it snaps.”

Matthew also says that certain oat milks are fortified with calcium, which a lot of Australians could do with consuming more of, as well as pointing out that oat milk is a natural source of a type of fibre.

Overall, almond milk is best for those looking for a low-calorie option, soy milk is best for protein, and oat milk is your friendly all-rounder, which is a winner with fruity espresso, which Matthew believes is poised to Be Big in Australia.

Oat milk isn’t the only burgeoning trend right now in Australian coffee cups. As Matthew recently chatted to DMARGE about, there is an old school American coffee trend currently being popularised, which you can read about below.

Read Next